Scrophulariaceae

Castilleja

• The showy part of the Paintbrush is not the flower, which is inconspicuous, but the calyx and leafy bracts. The green beak that is protruding from the bracts is the upper lip of the flower.
• Foothills Paintbrush grows in clumps. It is found in the foothills and montane zones.
• Western Yellow Paintbrush also grows in clumps. It is found in alpine and subalpine zones.
• Wyoming Paintbrush has deeply-lobed bracts. It occurs mostly in the montane zone.
• Hayden's Paintbrush is a small paintbrush which varies from rose-red to lilac-purple. It occurs in the high mountains and tundra.

Scrophulariaceae Cont.

Pedicularis

• Pedicularis flowers have a 2-lipped corolla that is elongated into a beak.
• Elephanthead has a beak that resembles an elephant's trunk. It occurs in wet meadows, pond edges and stream banks mostly in the subalpine zone.
• Parry's Lousewort also has an elongated beak. It occurs on dry alpine and subalpine slopes.

Fabaceae

Pea Family

• In the Pea Family the flower parts include a banner, two wings and a keel. The keel is formed by the joining of the lower 2 petals.
• Dwarf Clover is a mat-forming alpine plant. Each head has 2-3 rose-colored flowers.
• Parry's Clover is taller and is a showy clover. It is found in subalpine forest openings and moist tundra.
• Golden Banner occurs in patches where it has spread. It grows in gravelly meadows and along streams mainly in the foothills.
• Colorado Loco has a pointed keel. It is a conspicuous flower found in the grasslands of plains, parks and foothills.
• Silvery Lupine is a common lupine of the mountains. The tip of the keel is long and slender and projects upward. It is found from the foothills through the subalpine zone. It often grows at the edge of woods but also grows out in the open at higher altitudes.

Silvery Lupine

Lupinus argenteus

Fabaceae